Before I get to the chocolate brownie cookies, I’ll tell you about my morning. I was scheduled to have an echo stress test at 11am. It’s the final test on this ongoing health saga I’ve been living. I was awake at 5:30am (thanks Liz Posmyk for messing up my body clock) so I got up and started working – in my nightgown.

At 7:45 the phone rang and it was the hospital, “Can you come right now? We’ve had a cancellation and it would be good if you could come right now.”

I live 25 minutes from the hospital AND I hadn’t gotten dressed yet. I raced around trying to find what I thought I needed to wear. I was told to wear a front buttoning shirt and shorts – easy.

Within 5 minutes of arriving they were sticking those gummy electrodes to my body and then it was time to have the first echo cardiogram. The nurse asked me if I knew my height and weight.

“Short and fat,” wasn’t good enough apparently.

Imagine this scenario. The cardiologist is male, the sonographer is male, the treadmill expert is male and the nurse is male. They are all in their early 30s and there I am with the love bubbles all exposed for the world to see.

After the first ultrasound I got on the treadmill. The room is dimly lit for the sonographer to see every little detail so as I was getting on the treadmill I asked if they could turn on some music.

“Music?”

“Yes, if I’m going to be prancing on this treadmill with the hooters going this way and that, the least you could do is put on some stripper music for me.”

The look on their faces was priceless and then they all cracked up. Honestly, when you’re half naked in a roomful of men, the best offense is humor. I did the treadmill and I did so well they had to turn it off and then I hopped back on the bed for another ultrasound to make sure I didn’t have any issues from the test.

Had an ultrasound? That goo all over your chest is gross! You know what it feels like when you wipe it off? – I’m not going to say it.

Then a conversation with the cardiologist telling me it all looked fine and I’m good to start exercising and to do it regularly but only when the chest pains from the costochondritis go away.

“Do you have a treadmill?”

“Yes, it’s in the spare room and I don’t think I can get to it.”

“So you don’t use it?”

“Seriously, look at me, do I look like I use it?”

“Point taken. Use it or you risk falling off the perch. Got it?”

I’ve got it.

Now about these cookies. I love chocolate and peanut butter and when I saw these chocolate brownie cookies I thought they looked perfect to make sandwich cookies with. I wasn’t wrong. The cookies are soft and the peanut butter buttercream is like air.

I’m trying to be good so I made 3 and froze the rest. I needed 3 for the photographs or I would have made only one. You can’t photograph only one because then people think you went to the bakery and bought stuff.

Soft brownie-like cookies filled with a lighter than air peanut butter buttercream.

Author: Maureen

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 15

Ingredients

Cookies

7½ oz bittersweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons salted butter

2 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoonkosher salt

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Peanut Butter Buttercream

1 stick (113 grams) butter, soft

⅔ cup peanut butter

1 cup confectioner's (icing) sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C

Place the chocolate and butter into a small bowl, and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each 30 second interval. Continue until the butter and chocolate are completely melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Beat on medium for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale in color, and a bit foamy.

Add the (slightly cooled) chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, and combine well.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and add this mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined after each addition.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and it will be easier to scoop.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner (don’t skip this step; these cookies stick pretty fiercely, even with the silicone liner). Use a 2 teaspoon scoop to portion out cookies, about 2 inches apart on the sheet pan.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until the surface of the cookies is cracked, and they are risen and just set.(they will deflate to flat)

Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for about 3-4 minutes, and then carefully move them to a cooling rack. Using a very thin, flexible spatula to move them will help keep them from falling apart!

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Cream the butter and peanut butter on high speed in a mixer box fitted with the paddle attachment.

On low speed mix in the sugar until combined and then on high speed until fluffy and smooth (about 3 more minutes)

Finish

Match cookies by size and place a little more than a tablespoon of filling between them.

Comments

You also need to have three cookies because I’m pretty sure it’s some kind of blogging rule that when you photograph stuff, it’s better if it’s in threes. And definitely odd numbers. These look like wonderful cookies! I have a real weakness for peanut butter, alas. We freeze cookies all the time – we feel virtuous doing it, and it really takes only a few minutes to thaw them when we’ve over being good and all. 🙂 Glad to hear things are good with you, healthwise. We have a treadmill (and stationary bike) and actually do use them. With the treadmill it helps if you dangle a cookie in front of you, at mouth height – really gets your legs moving. 🙂 Actually watching something on TV helps enormously – a treadmill is so boring otherwise, at least I find it (something I don’t find when I exercise outside). Just record stuff you’d be watching anyway so it’s win-win.

Glad to hear everything is well Maureen. I must admit to cracking up twice reading this post (the stripper music and goo!…LOL!). And these brownie cookies look amazing! Love the idea of a peanut butter buttercream!

Those cookies look amazing, with their gorgeous, perfectly cracked tops! I love that your doctors had a sense of humour, and that you were able to make a fairly horrible moment funny – truly amazing, and something that I don’t think I would have been able to do. So good to hear that you won at the treadmill, and that you’ve got such a good attitude about all this stuff. Keep it up lovely! xx

Oh you are hilarious 🙂 I’ve had an echo (for reasons related to born-with-heart-murmur stuff) but have never had to face a treadmill and certainly never had to do any of it with a room of 3 men! I’m glad you survived and these cookies look excellent!

I love that you said hooters to them while doing the test. Too funny. Good luck with the medical saga, I’ve been going through one myself lately. These cookies look awesome and I agree with John that it’s a great idea to hang one in front of the treadmill!

You hade laughing with your antics! Very funny. Too bad the hospital wasn’t sensitive enough to provide female staff.
I totally understand that you HAD to make three, wink wink. We love chocolate and PB too. The cookies have a great finish on top. Nicely done.

I don’t think it would have been difficult to have had at least ONE woman in there (other than me, of course) but I’m just glad it’s all over. I told John to read the post and he called me and said, “You’re an idiot but I love you.” LOL

LOVE this recipe Maureen! I didn’t know about the photograph in three rule. I must remember that. It just never occurred to me that people would buy something at a bakery and pass it off as their own. What do I know! Marion would probably clutch my hands as I tried to put any in the freezer. She just loves hand held gooey goodness.

I’ve actually gone through that routine before and as you said, it can be quite uncomfortable. I only wish I had your sense of humor and freedom. Although, I did have one “older” doctor but that didn’t help much:) Glad things are going along well. I MUST get myself a treadmill. And, I’m NOT waiting til Christmas!

Oh look, I’m a dress in the closet sort of person but once you’ve had a baby or two, there is no modesty left as far as I’m concerned. Anyone walking by can see from your bumhole out your nose. I’ll never forget my father saying, “Anyone can tell what you’d had for dinner in that room!”

Chocolate and peanut butter is a combo I cannot resist. No way. Your cookies are a perfect example. Good thing you only made three … if the photo shoot ran too long, there would be only two, then one. But that’s me. (would feel guilty if I didn’t save just one for the hubby)

I remember my husband’s stress test, I guess I was so focused on what he was doing I didn’t even imagine doing that as a woman. Thanks for the laugh, you are right about humor being the only way to handle such things. Reminds me of the teaching hospital I was in when I had my first child — let’s just say I got over any shyness that go-around.

Oh, ha! What’s this about me messing up your body clock! ROFL. I blame menopause for those things, not daylight saving (or my good self)… Maureen, your visit to the cardiologist is a scream… like an episode of Abbott and Costello. I can just see it in my mind. You were lucky… baring your buuzzies/boosies/boobies/breasts in front of any stranger while you dance on a treadmill isn’t easy. I’ve done it twice now in the last 12 years and hated every second of it. At least you didn’t have Nurse Ratched jabbing you so hard with that jelly covered object that you screamed in pain and almost cried. I had bruises all over by the time that woman finished with me. Love your biscuits… I would have eaten the whole lot! Oh, and BTW, our elliptical makes a good coat rack… just ask Peter. xox

Great line – “Use it or you risk falling off the perch.” And I hear you about the ultrasound goo. Nasty stuff. I am VERY glad to hear you are doing well – well enough to laugh about it and make me laugh too. Also these cookies – well they sound wonderful! Stay well! Get on the treadmill.

You are so funny, I am sure you made their day – the cardiologist and all the people in the room. Those are serious cookies, I would have to hide them in the bottom of the freezer as I am slowly becoming “short and fat”.

Oh Maureen!!! You have absolutely, positively made my day!!! I have never laughed so hard over breakfast! Do you have any more health tests coming up? I so completely hope so – just so we can read your HILARIOUS post afterwards! They say laughter is the best medicine… I can see why your heart is more or less healthy after all! (I wonder if that means we can eat lots of your yummy recipes if we laugh the whole way through it?!!!)

Well, I am thrilled you had a ‘normal’ walking echo! After some dozens of them [having three incompent valves out of four, and one of them I was born with] I am no longer allowed such a privilege: have to have the nasty chemicals which make your heart go faster and faster and faster injected. Have never ever worried what sex the staff is: as long as they do the job competently! Being a medico in ‘the know’ have never ever thought the situation funny: happen to love my life!! Can tell the score ere the doctor tells me . . . can see it on the monitor, can’t I? Huh, have not had a cookie, biscuit or whatever you choose to call it, for over 30 years either . . .quite, quite content with that! As I said: am glad it turned out OK for you this time around ~ for hundreds of thousands of Australians every year it does not . . . just a thought . . .

Maureen, you are the funniest person on the internet. Bar none. Remind me one day to tell you about my medical tits-out story. 🙂 And in the meantime, do tell, how has Bizzy Lizzy been keeping you from your beauty sleep? 😉

Maureen, humor will get you through all of this. Only you can make a stress test sound comical… I hope that the results come back negative and everything is A-ok. Love these chocolate cookies with the filling. I am so pinning these beauties! Take Care of yourself! BAM

‘Short and fat’? You are hilarious! You should have said ‘cuddly and vibrant’. I don’t know why they make middle-aged women undress in front of a bunch of men half their age. I think that’s really insensitive. But you certainly made the best of the circumstances – they won’t forget you in a hurry! Good luck with finding your way to that treadmill! xx

So glad to read that you survived the stress test with your sense of humor intact, Maureen. I would have been very happy with these cookies alone. Putting a layer of peanut butter buttercream between 2 of the them is genius! What a great idea and great cookie!

Oh Maureen… I know your health is a serious issue… but you had me laughing out loud with this post. Hooters.. stripper music… height and weight-short and fat.. LOL!! You should write sitcoms… what a flair for finding the funny side of life. 🙂

I’m glad your stress test came back okay… now if you can only reach that treadmill. I’m in the same boat with mine. I think I need to dust it first:)

These cookies are beyond marvelous. I also love the combo of pb and chocolate. These are sinfully delicious. 🙂 I really love that 2nd photo… I would climb through the screen to eat it. 🙂

Maureen, you are priceless!!!! A big hug from me for flying through the tests and I am so glad you are on your way to being healthy, wealthy and not so wise 😀 The cookies look like a dream…mmmmmmmmm…..

Been there, done that. I had males, too – although they suggested I keep by bra on for my stress test. (which I did or I’d have a black eye). But I have put on a few – ok more than a few – ok a lot – of weight in the last 12 months and I need to do something about it too. Us heart people have to stick together.

Well done on the test! Wish all my patients have the positive sense of humour like u, Maureen, then my job will be a lot more fun! I have been seeing these brownie cookies around, but yours look exceptional. Lovely cracks on top!

Oh I wish I had been so clever when I went through that particular test. 🙂 I can’t definitely imagine the look on the techs and nurses faces when you asked for stripper music. I’m sure they don’t get humor from their patients much. So glad that the results were good!!! Great little cookies and good for you for only eating 3 and freezing the rest. I would not have been able to do that. Cookies, chocolate and peanut butter – Too good of a combination to resist.

Maureen, you are a scream! A sense of humour is a great asset in many situations-looks like you are exercising yours, on the treadmill no less. Glad you are managing to find a bit of time to continue cooking for us and making us laugh. Hope you are 100% well soon.

Thank you for making 3 cookies: One for you, one for me and the other one whoever we see first in the kitchen 😀
Wish I had a pretty face like your cookies’ !
I’m sure, later on, those cardio-guys talked about you with their GF/wives, “Maureen is one hell of a positive, beautiful, fun soul. Happy to meet her but don’t wanna see her in the lab again. May God grant her good health and abundance of happiness for the rest of her life”.
– Hugs.

That is such a hilarious story Maureen! Lol… I can kind of see you hopping about on that threadmill with all those guys around you… God, how I hate it when I have to do something like that! I know how you feel! And yes that goo from the echo is horrible; they recently did an echo of my back and yuck… it is gross indeed! Those cookies on the other hand are a sight for sore eyes! Looks lovely!

Dear Maureen, I am happy that you have had a good sense of humor through all this. Half the battle has already been won.
I am sure you are thrilled that your test came out good and so am I.
Costochondritis is very unpleasant but foods like fresh ginger and anti-inflammatory foods should help.
The brownie cookies look so comforting and delicious.
Blessings and hugs my dear. Catherine xoxo

Have you tried an insulated cookie sheet? If you don’t have one, use two cookie sheets and you might find that it insulates it enough not to burn the bottom and still cook the top. I’m sure you’ve tried lowering the heat. How about an oven thermometer?

You crack me up, even when you are having chest pains or medical tests. Humor is definitely the best medicine and really the only way to handle any crisis. But short and fat? *snort* The whole post is precious and I wish I could have been a fly on the wall to see the look on those young men’s face. Joking aside, I hope you stay well! And yes get on that treadmill! We old ladies have to support each other 🙂

The cookies with the peanut butter are amazing! Chocolate and peanut butter but even better because they are sweet, soft, chewy and creamy. Love <3